Currently hearing aids are provided with a wireless interface in order to offer additional functionality to the user. This way the hear aid may be wirelessly linked to a television, an audio streaming device, a mobile phone, etc. Additionally, the wireless link may be used to control the hearing aid, e.g. controlling the settings of e.g. its filters and/or volume, or to update parts of the software and/or settings of the hearing aid software. Due to energy and health constraints, the wireless link of the hearing aid is typically configured as a low-energy wireless link that uses a relatively low carrier frequency between 0.1 and 500 MHz.
Different hearing aids manufactures implement their own proprietary wireless interfaces in their products. Each manufacturer uses its own carrier frequency and its own protocol stack software for establishing a wireless data link with the hearing aid. Due to these differences only dedicated remote control devices are available on the market that only work with hearing aids of one particular manufacturer. Hence, the user of a hearing aid needs to buy a separate proprietary remote control device that is especially designed for a hearing aid of a particular manufacturer. Typically, these remote control devices cannot be used with hearing aids of other manufacturers.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,280,086 describes a remote control system for a hearing aid that is configured as a “plug-in” device for a mobile phone. The plug-in device can be connected to the mobile phone via the power bus connector and comprises a radio link that can make wireless contact with a particular hearing aid. When plugged-in, an application program in the plug-in device configures the mobile phone as a remote control for the hearing aid. Although this solution eliminates the needs for a separate remote control device, the plug-in does not provide a simple, secure and flexible wireless control solution for hearing aids of different manufactures working on different data carrier frequencies and different protocol stacks.
Hence, there is a need in the art for improved methods and system that allow wireless control of a hearing aid. In particular, there is a need in the art for methods and systems that provide simple, secure and flexible wireless control functions for different types of hearing aids of different manufacturers.